The present invention relates to a base station for portable cellular phones (hereafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cportable cellular phone base stationxe2x80x9d), and in particular, to a portable cellular phone base station which can reduce power consumption in cases where failure that impairs the functions of the portable cellular phone base station occurred.
Base stations for portable cellular phones (i.e. portable cellular phone base stations) are generally powered by the commercial power source (AC120 V, for example). Such a portable cellular phone base station operates using power applied by its power supply which is connected to the commercial power source by a plug etc. Some types of portable cellular phone base stations are provided with backup battery circuits for supplying power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where power from the commercial power source failed (in cases of power failure).
Generally, the power supply, which supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station, keeps on supplying power to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station even if the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions due to failure which occurred to one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station, as long as the power supply can operate normally. Therefore, a considerable amount of wasteful power consumption occurs in such conventional portable cellular phone base stations.
In the case of the portable cellular phone base station which is provided with the backup battery circuit, the backup battery circuit starts supplying power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station when the power from the commercial power source fails. Also in this case, the backup battery circuit keeps on supplying power to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station even if the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions due to failure which occurred to one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station, as long as the backup battery circuit can operate normally. Therefore, also in this case, a considerable amount of wasteful power consumption (battery consumption) occurs.
When such conventional portable cellular phone base station lost its functions, it is impossible to interrupt the power supply from the commercial power source or the backup battery circuit to parts of the portable cellular phone base station by remote control. Therefore, some maintenance staffs of the telephone company have to go to the place where the portable cellular phone base station has been installed and stop the power supply to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a portable cellular phone base station which can eliminate wasteful power consumption in cases where failure that impairs the functions of the portable cellular phone base station occurred.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable cellular phone base station which is provided with a backup battery circuit for supplying power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where power from the commercial power source failed, by which wasteful battery consumption of the backup battery circuit can be eliminated in cases where failure that impairs the functions of the portable cellular phone base station occurred.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable cellular phone base station, in which power supply to parts of the portable cellular phone base station can easily be stopped without sending maintenance staffs to the place where the portable cellular phone base station has been installed.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where a failure information signal indicating occurrence of failure is supplied from one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station and it is judged that the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the power supply interruption means includes a relay circuit which is provided between the power supply means and the parts of the portable cellular phone base station to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the power supply interruption means includes a power supply means ON/OFF control means which turns the power supply means OFF according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the power supply interruption means includes a relay circuit which is provided between the commercial power source and the power supply means to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a power supply interruption instruction signal reception means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption instruction signal reception means receives a power supply interruption instruction signal which is sent from higher level equipment in order to instruct the portable cellular phone base station to interrupt the power supply from the power supply means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where the power supply interruption instruction signal addressed to the portable cellular phone base station is received by the power supply interruption instruction signal reception means. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with a sixth through eighth aspects of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the power supply interruption means described in the second through fourth aspects are employed.
In accordance with a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a power supply interruption instruction signal reception means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption instruction signal reception means receives a power supply interruption instruction signal which is sent from higher level equipment in order to instruct the portable cellular phone base station to interrupt power supply from the power supply means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where a failure information signal indicating occurrence of failure is supplied from one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station and it is judged that the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions, and in cases where the power supply interruption instruction signal addressed to the portable cellular phone base station is received by the power supply interruption instruction signal reception means. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with a tenth through twelfth aspects of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the power supply interruption means described in the second through fourth aspects are employed.
In accordance with a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a backup battery means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The backup battery means supplies power to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power from the commercial power source failed. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where a failure information signal indicating occurrence of failure is supplied from one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station and it is judged that the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means and the backup battery means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the power supply interruption means includes two relay circuits. One relay circuit is provided between the power supply means and the parts of the portable cellular phone base station to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal. The other relay circuit is provided between the backup battery means and the parts of the portable cellular phone base station to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the power supply interruption means includes a power supply means ON/OFF control means and a relay circuit. The power supply means ON/OFF control means turns the power supply means OFF according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal. The relay circuit is provided between the backup battery means and the parts of the portable cellular phone base station to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the power supply interruption means includes two relay circuits. One relay circuit is provided between the commercial power source and the power supply means to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal. The other relay circuit is provided between the backup battery means and the parts of the portable cellular phone base station to be opened according to the supply of the power supply interruption signal.
In accordance with a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a backup battery means, a power supply interruption instruction signal reception means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The backup battery means supplies power to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power from the commercial power source failed. The power supply interruption instruction signal reception means receives a power supply interruption instruction signal which is sent from higher level equipment in order to instruct the portable cellular phone base station to interrupt the power supply from the power supply means and the backup battery means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where the power supply interruption instruction signal addressed to the portable cellular phone base station is received by the power supply interruption instruction signal reception means. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means and the backup battery means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with an eighteenth through twentieth aspects of the present invention, in the seventeen aspect, the power supply interruption means described in the fourteenth through sixteenth aspects are employed.
In accordance with a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable cellular phone base station which is powered by a commercial power source, comprising a power supply means, a backup battery means, a power supply interruption instruction signal reception means, a power supply interruption signal generation means, and a power supply interruption means. The power supply means is supplied power from the commercial power source and thereby supplies power to parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The backup battery means supplies power to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power from the commercial power source failed. The power supply interruption instruction signal reception means receives a power supply interruption instruction signal which is sent from higher level equipment in order to instruct the portable cellular phone base station to interrupt the power supply from the power supply means and the backup battery means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station. The power supply interruption signal generation means generates a power supply interruption signal in cases where a failure information signal indicating occurrence of failure is supplied from one or more parts of the portable cellular phone base station and it is judged that the portable cellular phone base station has lost its functions, and in cases where the power supply interruption instruction signal addressed to the portable cellular phone base station is received by the power supply interruption instruction signal reception means. And the power supply interruption means interrupts the power supply from the power supply means and the backup battery means to the parts of the portable cellular phone base station in cases where the power supply interruption signal is supplied from the power supply interruption signal generation means.
In accordance with a twenty-second through twenty-fourth aspects of the present invention, in the twenty-first aspect, the power supply interruption means described in the fourteenth through sixteenth aspects are employed.